


Feeling faint

by Vault_Emblem



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fainting, Humor, Insecurity, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 07:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20617091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vault_Emblem/pseuds/Vault_Emblem
Summary: After so much time trapped in indecision, Hubert finally gathers the courage to propose to Ferdinand.Will he say yes?





	Feeling faint

**Author's Note:**

> Me: *sees that Ferdinand almost faints when he proposes to Byleth*  
Me: gotta use it for a fic

It’s rare to see Hubert so nervous, but this is a special occasion: he’s finally gathered the courage to propose to Ferdinand.

The war is over, Those Who Slither in the Dark have been dealt with and it’s been already three years of peace for the Empire. What better time to propose?

It’s such a peaceful time; nothing could go wrong.

In truth… he’s bought a ring a long time ago already, it’s just that he never had the courage to go along his proposal.

It’s not that he doubts Ferdinand’s feelings towards him – it’s written all over him, to the point that it’s even overwhelming sometimes – but rather…

He’s supposed to be a shadow. Would it be right for him to come to the light like this?

He never thought someone would look at him with anything beside contempt, Ferdinand less than anyone, and yet here they are; sometimes he still finds it hard to believe that this isn’t just a joke, a tasteless prank to expose him as the fool he is. How many times has he been called nothing more than a rat? And is he really the person Ferdinand would want to spend his life with?

He could have anyone he chooses, so why him?

It would be easy for him to ascertain whether this is a farce or not: all it would take is to simply propose, then his true feelings would be all over his – beautiful – face. Ferdinand is many things, but secretive isn’t one of them; he carries his feelings all over him, open and for everyone to see.

It _would_ be easy, but why should he bother if he’s going to get rejected? Hubert can already see him, his sad eyes – because Ferdinand is also soft at heart and he would still feel guilty about doing something so horrible – but saying that, as fun as this was, they can’t bring it further.

How ironic this is.

He prides himself for being a rational person, the kind that will always listen to his mind instead of his heart, and what is stopping him from going through this? His damned feelings.

That is, until now.

He’s simply _fed up_ with all this tension, this longing, and he wants to do something about it.

That’s not all, however: he knows it’s childish, but… but he doesn’t want Ferdinand to one up him in this – admitting that he would even consider proposing to him, which to Hubert feels like a long stretch already.

_He_ has to be the one to propose. He doesn’t even know why he feels this way but it can’t go any different.

So to hell with everything, he will do it, and if it goes awry, well… he’ll take it as a cautionary tale next time he falls in love with anyone.

It all begins in a simple manner: drinking tea in the palace’s garden.

There hasn’t been a day in which they have skipped their now famed tea breaks. Neither of them would even dream of it, less than ever now that they are… involved. It’s a pleasant way to spend time after their duties for the day and prepare themselves for what the evening might bring them.

Hubert’s hearing what Ferdinand is saying but he isn’t really listening to him: he’s busy studying the way his hands move, always trying to reach for his own, and he lets him slide his palm over his, intertwining their fingers.

\- Hubert, is there something wrong? -.

He shakes his head, looking at Ferdinand; he must’ve noticed that Hubert is pretty out of it, though he doubts he has any idea of how tense his nerves are – after all Hubert hasn’t survived this long by making his emotions obvious to anyone but himself.

He planned to do this after their break, but he can’t wait anymore.

He can’t bear any second of it.

The way he rises from his seat is sudden, graceless; it makes Ferdinand fear that he’s fallen ill.

\- I’m alright. More than alright -, Hubert says, mostly to convince himself than the other, - …I -.

_Come on Hubert, you can do this._

He walks over to Ferdinand before he has the chance to do anything and he puts a hand on his shoulder in order to still him. He then kneels by his side, looking at him straight in the eyes, fired up by a newfound courage.

\- I still find it hard to believe that this happening, but… -, he chuckles, hit by a realization, - If teenage me ever knew about this, he’d laugh in my face for what I am about to do -.

\- Why? What are you doing? -.

\- Ferdinand, I’ve made peace with the fact that I was going to live the rest of my life alone a long time ago. I had my duties, I had to assure that Lady Edelgard’s future would become reality, I didn’t have time for romance. I closed myself off to anyone before they could even reject me, I let my solitude become my armor, to the point that I was keeping even Lady Edelgard to a distance… -.

He takes a deep breath.

\- And then you came along. At first I couldn’t stand you for superficial reasons, and well… I was pleasantly surprised when I actually got to know you. You’re like a ray of sun, Ferdinand, shining so bright that sometimes even looking at you bears its difficulties -.

He takes Ferdinand’s hand between his, gaze low – how pathetic that he can’t even look at him directly.

\- Look at me now, I cannot even imagine at life not a your side, if you’ll have me, that is -.

It’s with trembling hands – though Hubert does his best not to give it away – that he reaches inside the pocket of his coat, taking a small wooden box and opening it towards Ferdinand.

\- So let me ask you… Ferdinand von Aegir, would you marry me? -.

Ferdinand’s eyes move from Hubert to the ring inside the box, then to Hubert, then to the ring again.

It’s pretty simple, nothing too flashy – Hubert would hate it. It’s a fine silver ring with a ruby in the middle – when he bought it, it reminded him of Ferdinand with how fiery it is.

His heart is pounding loudly in his chest, so much that he wonders if Hubert is hearing him; his ears whistle and he feels his face so hot – he must be all red. To say that he is hyperventilating would be an understatement.

He’s about to reply, but he feels all his energy leave him.

\- I think… I am about to… faint… -.

Even though Hubert hasn’t completely understood what Ferdinand said, he sees him as falls over, and thankfully his reflexes are quick enough to catch him without having him toppling down.

\- Ferdinand! -.

It surely says something about him that the first thing he thinks is:

“Someone poisoned the tea”.

But that can’t be, as he personally checks every teabag he buys just in case. If they had actually been poisoned, he would’ve noticed. No, this has to do with something else entirely.

Did he… did he give Ferdinand a heart attack?

That must be it. It’s the answer that makes more sense with what little information on how this happened he has – he saw it happen, he should be better in analyzing the situation than this, he knows he’s better, but he can’t help to shake off all the panic currently in his system.

He shouldn’t have asked him something so important with little to no preambles. Ferdinand was completely unprepared to hear it!

He had another, more detailed plan, with a long speech that could ease him into the question… but Hubert had forgotten about it. In the spur of the moment, he could barely remember his name; only his feelings for Ferdinand were clear in his memory, and he decided to go along with it.

Oh dear, how is he going to expalin what happened here?

No, he shouldn’t give Ferdinand up for dead already; that would be unfair.

First things first, he need to lay him down, then, he needs to inspect for any sign of poisoning – he can never be too careful when it comes to that – and while he’s at it he should call for a healer. Why didn’t he take any healing class? He would be more helpful in that case!

All right, where to start then?

\- … Hubert -.

Ferdinand’s voice sounds weak, but at least by looking at him, he seems awake.

\- Yes, Ferdinand? -.

Hubert can’t help but to flinch at the sound of his own voice; he shouldn’t let emotions take the best of him like this and yet here he is, fretting uselessly over Ferdinand instead of helping him. He should revise his conduct next time something similar happens – in the hopes however that there won’t be any need of this.

\- I… I apologize. I do not know what came to me -, Ferdinand mutters, resting his hands on Hubert’s shoulders, gripping them hard but the other is too busy with his current state to notice.

\- I should be the one to apologize -, he says in reply, - I shouldn’t have… -.

\- Did you mean it? -.

Hubert looks at Ferdinand with confusion in his eyes.

\- What are you talking ab… wait, is this about the proposal? -.

Ferdinand weakly nods, and Hubert really cannot believe this man; who would propose as a joke? It’s a tactic below even him.

\- Of course I meant it! Every word of it -, he replies in fact, indignant at the sole notion that he could have been mocking Ferdinand with this.

\- Do you think I would really jest about something like this? -.

\- When it comes to you, one can never know -, Ferdinand replies, but it’s obvious by the way he’s looking at him that he doesn’t really mean it.

\- Umpf. Aren’t you supposed to feel ill? I preferred you when you were almost passed out -, Hubert retorts, jokingly as well.

That earns a chuckle from Ferdinand, but it dies down pretty soon, replaced by a softer smile.

\- I’m… I’m so glad -.

Despite not being completely recovered from the accident, he looks positively radiant, and Hubert finds himself unable to look away – not that he’d ever want to.

\- That means… -.

\- I accept. O-of course I accept -, Ferdinand says at the top of his lungs, and thankfully there is nobody nearby or else they’d be already source of gossip, - Honestly I thought you were never going to ask -.

To that Hubert can only reply with:

\- I had to sort out some things within myself first. I apologize for making you wait -.

He should give Ferdinand the ring, and yet there is still something keeping him from doing so.

\- Are you certain of your answer? Do you really want this? -.

He was expecting an eloquent response, maybe even a jab towards him – but with love, always with love when it comes with the two of them. He was expecting anything else coming from Ferdinand, so pardon his stupor when these are the words he hears:

\- Shut up and put that ring on me or so the Goddess help me -.

Hubert barely registers him moving until he’s lying on the ground with Ferdinand over him, and if he wasn’t so busy returning the kiss he would yell something at him because this is a low blow, but who is he to make comments like that?

They pull away only once they are out of breath, but there isn’t much distance between them.

Hubert is actually about to close it again when Ferdinand speaks, and he must say, he doesn’t like how alarmed his voice is:

\- Hubert? -.

\- Yes? -.

\- I think… I might faint again -.

_For the love of…_

Hubert sighs, but there’s fondness in the way he looks at Ferdinand. In the end, he wouldn’t change this for anything in the world.

Now that he accepted, there is the matter of making things official, deciding a date, planning the entire event… but it all becomes secondary when the image of how happy Ferdinand looked a few moments before flashes before his eyes.

Besides, there is a more urgent matter that needs to be taken care of before any other preparation:

\- All right. Let’s get you to the infirmary before you actually pass out -.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on tumblr [@bi-naesala](https://bi-naesala.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@vault_emblem](https://twitter.com/vault_emblem)


End file.
